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Come Fan with UsSaturday, August 8, 2026

We’ll see you play some day, Joel Embiid

Good morning. We have news on Embiid, free agency links and more in Monday’s NBA newsletter.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

PICKING UP THE PIECES: Paul Flannery deconstructs the 2015 NBA free agency period and puts it back together in a way that makes sense in a special Sunday Shootaround. The result: He finds only three real contenders in the league. Plus, he has a list of five teams that improved in the offseason, some lovely quotes and more. Check it out.

EMBAAD: Joel Embiid will have another operation on his foot and miss the entire 2015-16 season. He’d already missed the entire 2014-15 season. I assure you that this was not a part of the process. Here’s Matt Moore on where this puts the Sixers’ grand plan. And kudos to Mike Sielski on his column refocusing the attention on Embiid’s well-being.

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FREE WILL: The Nets bought out massive disappointment Deron Williams, who had two years and more than $40 million left on his deal. He’ll now sign a small deal with the Mavericks. They finally got their man!

TWITTER’S NEW CAPOLOGIST: Meet Bobby Marks, the former Nets assistant GM who is the breakout Twitter star of free agency.

A HANDS-ON EDUCATION: Mike Prada on Karl-Anthony Towns’ hands-on education for the Wolves.

CONGRATULATIONS? The Thunder matched that $70 million Enes Kanter offer sheet. The Blazers swindle another team on behalf of a player.

WHERE ARE U NOW: Meanwhile, Hasheem Thabeet is repping the D-League in Summer League and getting ejected and destroying furniture.

WAIT, WHAT? The Nuggets gave Wilson Chandler a massive extension, for some reason.

MORE FREE AGENT SIGNINGS: See who else signed a deal over the weekend, including Austin Rivers and the wise Andrea Bargnani.

TERRY ROZIER’S STORY: Great read from Mark Murphy on the Celtics rookie’s path to the NBA.

ONE OF THESE IS A VERY BAD IDEA: Three weird things that Iggy Azalea and Nick Young want to happen at their wedding.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ... about Becky Hammon, who is coaching the Spurs’ Summer League team.

SCOOT OVER A BIT: Speaking of Hammon, I enjoyed this Q&A with her about her first season on an NBA bench.

HEY ARNOLD: Dwight Howard’s Schwarzenegger impersonation is really pretty good. Also, he went to Comic-Con dressed as Predator. Is ... is Dwight cool again?

STILL NOT GETTING THE EXIT ROW FROM ME: Damian Lillard, who recently signed a $120 million contract, is still out there flying coach.

UM: Anthony Davis has a pet monkey named Meek?

Happy Monday. See you next time.

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